BATTLE CREEK, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Binder Park Zoo has announced that it has received grant funding for the purposes of building a new Mexican gray wolf habitat.
The zoo had previously submitted applications for funding through the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA) last June for the habitat, plus general zoo operations.
The zoo was officially awarded the grant funds on Friday, October 18th in the form of $50,000 for capital improvements for the Mexican gray wolf exhibit and $15,000 for operations.
“We are honored and grateful to receive these awards from the MCACA,” President & CEO of the zoo Diane Thompson said in an official press release. “They allow us to not only enhance the overall guest experience but make improvements that positively impacts our mission of conservation here at the zoo. Our mission to ’Connect. Inspire Conserve. Connect people with nature and inspire them to conserve.’ will be well served.”
The zoo will move the Mexican gray wolf exhibit from its current location to an area east of the Barnum Creek that will focus on North American animal species.
The zoo says that the current exhibit, which features a deck that allows patrons to view the wolves from above, is no longer considered an ideal practice.
The press release notes that the new habitat will include a viewing area that respects the needs of the species and meets best practice where guests can observe the wolves at ground level; along with educational space to share conservation messages and general information about the wolves.
Binder Park Zoo has been actively engaged in the Mexican gray wolf Species Survival Plan (SSP) for almost thirty years after receiving an initial breeding pair of wolves in 1992.
The Mexican gray wolves, also referred to as “Lobo,” are the most critically endangered subspecies of the gray wolf and one of the rarest animals with approximately 350 left in the world.
Binder Park Zoo says that by 2018, only 114 Mexican gray wolves were counted in the wild. On March 29, 1998, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services released a Mexican gray wolf named “Dark Eyes,” a female wolf born at Binder Park Zoo, into the Apache National Forest in eastern Arizona. Dark Eyes was the first Mexican gray wolf to give birth to pups in the wild in over 50 years.
In June 2019, four Mexican gray wolf pups were born to a first-time breeding pair named Flynn and Izzy.
Unfortunately, one pup passed away early of pneumonia and two others died of Eastern equine encephalitis, a rare mosquito-borne virus.
“This tragic incident was heartbreaking not just for zoo staff, but it also struck a serious blow to the conservation efforts for this species,” Manager of Wildlife, Conservation and Education at the zoo Brett Linsley said. “The new exhibit will not only provide a larger, more suitable habitat for the wolves to thrive in, but will help us redouble our efforts towards the breeding of these animals with the goal of future releases back into the wild.”
A complete list of grant awards around the state is available by contacting MCACA at (517) 241-4011, or by visiting the MCACA website at www.michigan.gov/arts.
Binder Park Zoo is located at 7400 Division Dr, Battle Creek, MI 49014.
